Don’t throw away Leftover Puff Pastry Bits

Are you one of those people who collect puff pastry scraps, you know, the bits that get left behind after you cut shapes out of your puff pastry sheets? Well, I am! And if you’ve been throwing away the scraps, well, then shame on you! How could you??? HOW COULD YOU???!!!!*tears*

Well, last Halloween, I got myself elbow-deep in puff pastry projects (Vegan Puff Pastry Voodoo Dolls, Veg Puff Mummies) and well, there were a lot of scraps after I cut out the voodoo dolls. So I put them in a freezer bag, and kept adding to it. Well, it’s been 6 months and it was time to take it out and put it to good use.

This is a fun project to do, especially with kids around. And it also works out as super quick (super cute!) snacks to put out when surprise guests visit.

There were no guests at my place, but there was a surprise puff pastry craving, and I did not want to open a new package of puff pastry while the scraps looked at me sadly from behind the freezer!

So I took it all out, assembled it on baking trays for baking. As my husband pointed out, doesn’t this one look like the Bat symbol from Batman???? I didn’t see it at first, but once I did, I couldn’t un-see it!

Salvage any pieces large enough for you to shape into a croissant or a turnover. Separate the remaining scraps/bits by size – tiny, medium and large. Why? You’ll see!

Baking instructions

Brush the tops with milk, if you want them to turn golden brown as they bake. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C for 15-20 minutes. The smaller bits might just need 10 minutes.

1. Sugar Coat the tiny bits

The tiniest bits of leftover Puff pastry you have, can simply be baked and tossed in some icing sugar while still warm.

Brush the tops with milk, if you want them to turn golden brown as they bake. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C for 10-15 minutes. The smaller bits might just need 10 minutes.

Once baked, sprinkle generously with icing sugar and I mean GENEROUSLY! Douse them like Beignets! Enjoy! Keeps well for about a week stored in an air-tight container.

2. Chocolate Dip the medium bits

Instead of dousing with sugar, you can also dip the baked puff pastries in chocolate.

Brush with milk and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C for 15-20 minutes. Transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool completely, then dip in some melted chocolate. Return to the wire rack to set, and serve!

Keeps well for 2-3 days if stored in a single layer, in an air-tight container.

3. Savory toppings for the larger bits

When I say larger, I mean relatively larger. If it’s a big enough piece then by all means, trim to make a circle or a square and use as you normally would. I am talking about pieces that you can’t really make anything else out of.

On these, top with any savory flavours you like – here are my favourite flavour combos:

Honey + red chilli flakes

Triple Cheese blend (grated)

Homemade Marinara

Triple Cheese blend + Spring onions (chopped)

Sesame seeds

One with everything (I chose my Batman piece for the everything)

Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C for 15-20 minutes and serve while still warm. The savory bits, especially the ones with cheese tend to get ‘tough’ when left to cool and there’s nothing worse than melted cheese that’s cooled and hardened.

See! How much fun was that??? And, your karma is also pleased at the no-waste upcycle!

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.